While technology has brought a lot of changes over the past two and a half decades, outdoor advertising is still one of the most successful and impactful forms of marketing. Brand awareness has been spread through this kind of marketing for nearly a century. Billboards are one of the most well-known examples of this type of marketing. The giant signs are placed along heavily trafficked areas such as highways, airports, or busy city centers, to grab as much attention as possible.

One of the reasons that billboard advertising is still so effective and has withstood the test of time is that it’s one of the best low-maintenance ways of getting your message out there. Effective use of billboards in marketing can passively impact thousands of potential customers with just one advertisement alone. As a result, it remains one of the best methods for gaining new customers for several companies.  

One city that is especially famous for its billboard advertising is New York City. This hotspot for industry and culture has some of the most famous billboards in the world and is a great place to utilize out-of-home media to grow your brand awareness. If you have been thinking about how your brand could benefit from using billboards in new york, here are a few tips you need to know.

1. Start With the Strategy

A billboard campaign is not just an image or a message, it’s an experience. You must consider a potential customer’s journey as a drive or walk up to the billboard in view, notice the billboard, and seek to understand it in a few minutes – without taking their eyes off the road or sidewalk. To make an effective billboard advertising campaign, first, you build a strategy. Then your billboard strategy will shape the design.

2. The Power of Picture Cannot Be Underestimated

You should show, not tell. Using one or two large words can make a huge difference because there’s no room to explain. Easy phrases like, “Luxury Apartments” are about as much written message as you can fit on a billboard – for both visibility and reading time. However, an image can convey much more. Make sure to use clear outlines, high contrast, and minimal shading, which can fade or lose detail in the weather.

3. Keep It Simple and Clear

Be clear with your message. What are you trying to communicate? Give your viewers as much information as you can in the simplest way possible. You can start by choosing one or two images and one or two sentences. Since most people read billboards while on the move, you have only a few seconds to make your message memorable. It is recommended that no more than seven words be used on a billboard.

4. Location, Location, Location

Choosing the right place for your billboards is a crucial decision. Make sure you choose the best location for viewers. Commuter and transportation routes are good choices, especially during rush hours, but some brands would be better served by marketing on tourist routes. Depending on their location, some billboards are closer to the road while others are higher up. While some billboards are placed on an interesting landmark like a hillside or an old brick building, others are poorly positioned. Always consider the location carefully when placing billboards in New York. 

5. Direct vs Indirect Calls to Action

How do you want your viewers to react when they see your sign? It is possible to make a direct or indirect call to action. Maybe you are reminding consumers to get their oil changed and to book their next appointment. Or perhaps you are inviting drivers to take the next exit to your restaurant. Using one-word associations, such as “message” or “text,” can encourage viewers to take action later.

Advantages of Billboard Advertising in New York

New York City is One of the Biggest Cities on Earth

The biggest advantage of New York billboards is the ability to reach a large audience with little maintenance and almost no hassle. The giant signs will be visible to people as they go about their daily routines. While a lot of thought and strategy goes into the design of the advertisement, the greatest strength of billboard advertising is the number of people that will passively interact with them. In other words, the higher the foot traffic, the greater the brand awareness that can be achieved. New York City is hard to beat when it comes to population. 

NYC has over 8 million residents, and millions more tourists visit each year, making it one of the largest cities on earth. Furthermore, it truly is a city that never sleeps. In other words, your advertisement will work day and night to spread awareness of your brand.

Credibility 

For decades, brands have relied on billboards to advertise their products and services. Billboards are still being used to advertise the biggest brands of our time. By using this kind of marketing strategy, smaller brands have been able to gain credibility. By utilizing strategic, high-quality billboard marketing, you can help to establish your brand’s credibility while increasing its awareness. 

Variety of Options

Another pro of advertising with New York billboards is the many types of billboards that exist. Billboard advertising may not be a new concept, but it has survived in the modern era by leveraging the ability to use digital platforms. High-quality digital out-of-home media uses high-resolution digital panels to display stunning images, special effects, and sound. There is also no shortage of traditional analog options in New York City if you want to take your brand awareness to a whole new level. There are many options when it comes to marketing campaigns, from large billboards like those in Time Square to mobile digital billboards and billboard trucks. 

Conclusion

Currently, there are over 370,000 billboards in the United States, and more than fifteen thousand are added every year. With one of the largest populations in the world, billboards in New York are a great option to look into for your next marketing campaign. New York City is huge, to put it mildly. When it comes to local advertising in a city this size, billboards can help you stand out. Smaller brands can benefit from this type of marketing by raising awareness in their local area. The variety of billboard types you can choose from allows you to find the perfect strategy to get your brand the exposure it deserves.